Re: The cost of damned liars, and statisticians in the Bay Area.
Dave Long (dl@silcom.com)
Wed, 26 Aug 1998 00:36:56 -0700
Mr. Masnick writes:
>I took the job I have now, despite not believing in the original premise of the
>company, because the people I spoke with here were *incredible* in terms of
>smarts and sharpness. They honestly convinced me of their business model
>and in their ability to execute.
and
>If that's what you want to do. Just be aware that plans never seem to work
>out - for just about anyone. Some people find them helpful. I don't. I
>have a general direction, but I'm willing to admit that things change
>(including myself) and there's every reason in the world to expect to
>change paths, directions, visions, lifestyles... anything really.
A gold (or at least #C0C040) star to those who spot the MBTI implications
of the preceding statements.
< http://www.cs.uq.oz.au/personal/bof/Psychology/myersbriggsprayer.html>
Seriously, if you're looking at startups, that is the culture you want. It is
good to ask "can these folk execute on this plan?", but it is much better
to ask "will these folk be able to execute all N plans, as they hot-swap
models 'til the money rolls in?" (rolls in, rolls in, MGHTMRI...) If you're
a firm believer in incrementalism (XP, etc.), then s/N/X/ and ignore any
non-generic weaknesses.
-Dave